You Always Want What You Can't Have
by love-child-1403
Summary: [Oneshot, possibly with a sequel] Sam is finally getting married. But how can she go through with it when the man at the alter isn't the one she's in love with?


**Title:**You Always Want What You Can't Have 

**Author:**love-child-1403

**Disclaimer:**As has been mentioned previously, I do not own Stargate SG-1 or any of its characters, plot lines, etc. However, I do own this story and this particular plot line is all my own, no matter how terrible it is!

**Brief Summary: **Sam is getting married. But how can she go through with it when the man at the altar isn't the one she loves?

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

Sam fidgeted distractedly with her dress and bit her lip nervously, twisting the silky material beneath her fingers until someone kindly took her hand away and patted it gently.

"It's natural to be nervous, dear!" said the portly woman at her side, who was currently arranging Sam's bouquet for her. They were pink roses, the pale colour melting into a darker, duskier shade of magenta at the very tips of the petals. She could hear the Wedding March begin to play from inside the small church and, instead of filling her with excitement, it filled her with dread.

Oh God Sam thought queasily, the panic coiling tightly in her gut. What am I doing?

All too soon she was being ushered out of the back room of the church and into the soft glow of the main hall. Amongst the people gathered in the wooden pews, Sam could see the smiling faces of the now retired General Hammond, Daniel, Teal'c, Cassie and Mark. Her stomach jolted abruptly when she finally realised that _he _wasn't here. She pasted a smile across her face as she walked down the aisle. Her legs felt like lead one second and Jell-O the next, and she had to blink rapidly to stop hot tears from fully forming in her eyes.

He isn't here she thought over and over, the three little words becoming a mantra in her own mind… yet she had to wonder why it hurt so much that Jack wasn't at her wedding.

And suddenly she was standing next to Pete at the altar, his beaming face only causing her heart to sink further. She turned to the vicar, unable to look Pete directly in the eye as the guilt slowly began to eat at her from the inside out.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to bear witness to-" With another jolt of her stomach she realised that the ceremony had started. She masked her confusion with another smile but her heart was in her throat when the vicar turned to the assembly.

"If anyone here knows of any lawful impediment why these two may not be joined together in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

A contented silence answered his words and Sam had the sudden urge to scream at the congregation to make something up – she just wanted an easy way out of this. It was more than cold feet: she felt faint, which was a very un-Sam-like thing to feel.

C'mon… I would give anything for a distraction right about n-

There was a theatrical banging of doors at the opposite end of the church and Sam whipped around, along with everyone else in the room. The sight that met her veiled eyes made her heart leap – or it would have, had her logical brain not labelled that idea as a physical impossibility. There stood Jack O'Neill in full military uniform, looking slightly sheepish.

"Sorry about the door… I'm not one for dramatic gestures but that's one hell of a wind they've got going out there," he said, making sure that his voice carried to the far end of the echoing church where Sam stood, beaming unashamedly at him. Jack walked purposefully to the altar where Pete was gaping at him; his expression akin to the look you give someone before you stab them with a twelve-inch knife.

"Excuse me, sir," began the bemused vicar, addressing him from behind Sam and Pete, "but do you have an objection to this union?" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"An _objection_?" Sam's heart dropped back to its usual place inside her ribcage (by this point the logical part of her brain had been surpressed to make way for poetic license) at his words. Obviously, she had been stupid to think that Jack had come here to stop the ceremony. He was just late. He wasn't the most punctual of people in the first place – it had just been wishful thinking…

"Yes, an objection," the vicar answered, wearily, wiping his brow with a handkerchief.

"As a matter of fact, I do have an objection-" Jack was cut off by Pete, who was looking pretty angry by this point.

"Is it a lawful impediment?" he hissed, his hands curled into fists by his sides. Jack didn't seem very intimidated, as he began to rock backwards and forwards on the balls of his feet.

"Let me think… Would the fact that Sam doesn't want to get married to you count as a lawful impediment?" he asked lightly, his eyebrows raised in question. There was a collective gasp from the congregation but Sam's heart soared. Not only was he stopping the wedding, he had also called her _Sam._ She could kiss him right about now! The portly vicar frowned and Pete looked about ready to start swinging punches, but Jack continued his gently rocking, unfazed. Since Pete seemed too angry to speak, the priest answered for him.

"Well, yes, it would but-" the vicar began, but was stopped by Jack doing the most un-O'Neill-like thing anyone had ever seen before. He took Sam's hand, pulled her towards him and picked her up, bridal style, before marching towards the huge oak doors of the church.

"Stop me if I do something wrong," Jack whispered in her ear, sending tingles down her spine. She grinned.

"You're doing just great so far."

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

So, that was it, folks!

I do hope you enjoyed it – please review, it means the world to me!

May consider doing a sequel – what do you think?

xxx


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